Own a Piece of History

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Too rich for my blood, but check out this group of items from a member of the 14th Brooklyn, who was in the regiment at the time of First Bull Run. The belongings of Captain C. H. Morris of Co. K are up for auction by Heritage Auction Galleries – absentee bidding ends November 20. Hat tip to Paul Taylor at With Sword and Pen. Anyone with any info on Captain Morris please chime in – I haven’t turned up anything on him yet.

UPDATE – Reader Mike Peters contributes:

Charles H. Morris, 30, “enrolled” in the 14th Brooklyn to serve 3 years on 18 April 1861. Mustered in as 2nd Lt. of Company H on 23 May 1861. Became Captain on 16 July 1861. Was discharged for disability 18 January 1863. (From the 14th’s regimental history, The History of the Fighting Fourteenth, compiled by Tevis and Marquis. Anybody know where I can find a digital copy?)

Here’s the detail of Morris’ CDV from the above Heritage Auctions photo:

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Mike Peters(10:21:34) :

Harry,

Charles H/ Morris, 30, “enrolled” in the 14th Brooklyn to serve 3 years on 18 April 1861. Mustered in as 2nd Lt. of Co,pany H on23 May 1861. Became Captain on 16 July 1861. Was discharged for disability 18 January 1863.

Caleb H. Beal, Co. H 14th Brooklyn, wrote the following letter, found online, a short time after First Bull Run:

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Arlington Camp Porter
July 23rd, 1861

Dear Parents,

Thank God my life is spared, which is a miracle I asure you. The last letter I wrote you was the day before we marched to the battle field we, started at 2 O Clock that night and marched until 10 O Clock the next morning, and then were engaged in one of the most terrific battles ever fought in this country without stoping to rest at all, and we were all tired out when we arrived, we dropped our blankets and haversacks tore down fences, and rushed right up a steep hill to the enemies batteries.

I have often read of battles but never thought I should see the horror of war, which I did yesterday. I have seen enough. I (??) and hope I may never witness such a again, but we are in for the war and may have to be in another battle before 3 weeks.

We fought bravely and the 14th as hard as any other regiment, but we were all obliged to retreat with a great (???), we are all back to our old camps that is those who are alright, all jaggered out having marched all night and yesterday through woods swamps and a hard march it was as we were afraid we should be cut off by the enemy, and if we had been it would have made an awful (???)of us. We were in such confusion my legs are all swollen and my feet blistered and if you could look at our camp this morning, you would see a lot of dirty tired and limping lot of soldiers.

It rained when we reached our camp and we all laid down and slept just as we were having all lost our blankets.

The rebels are the most cowardly I’d ever heard of. They actually came out of the woods and bayoneted our wounded, and the report is this morning that they have burned up the building where our wounded quartered. The rebels were all concealed in what is called masked batteries being ditches 14 feet deep in the edge of woods and you can not see them until you come right upon them. They say they extend for 3 miles and every little way is a battery. If they had come out in the field in a fair fight we should have cut them up awfully, but they had every advantage of us, they are very tricky. They came out and waved the American Flag and enticed our men to rally thinking it was our troops and when we got near them they drop the flag and fired on us doing awful damage.

We did not have so many men as we expected as one brigade which was to attack the batteries at another front from us were led 10 miles out of the way by their guide. Our Colnl was wounded and I helped to carry him on a litter for a good ways, he I think is not dangerous, although he did not speak and looked like a corpse, every one in the regiment is rejoicing over his narrow escape.

As we fought for 5 hours amid shower of cannon balls, grape shot bomb shells and bullets, at one time we were slipping down and marching up a hill to avoid the fire, when the 71 st reg. of NY mistook us for the enemy and poured a voley in to us, which you can judge somewhat of when I tell you that 6 or 8 of us were all in a heap in the dirt and the bullets striking nothin’ a fool of us. One of my mess mates had his cap taken off by a cannon ball. We made 3 rallys up the hill. But the enemy could not be got at. The zouaves were cut up awful! Our Major Jourdan was one of the bravest officers on the field riding and leading us on with, now boys ” recollect your uniform, Brooklyn, and the Flag of your country.” With cannon balls striking all about him, we all thought that the enemy took him for Gen’l Mc Dowell as they kept up a continual fire at him, but it was the will of divine Providence that he should not be shot.

You will see all the publications in the paper which will give you statistics of numbers more accurate than I can, get the NY Times or Herald if you can.

When I woke up last night I found your letter laying beside me and was glad to hear from you. I read it and fell back to sleep again, and slept till this morning. This is all I can write now. I’am so tired and exhausted, tell the girls I received their letter, but had not time to answer it. Give my love to all and when I get settled I will try and write a gain.

Your affectionate son C H Beal

Excuse haste

P.S. Send some newspapers if you please.
We have marched altogether for the last 3 days 70 miles.

Yes, you did forward this letter to me back in March. I want to put it up on the site, but I need to know a little something about its origin. I couldn’t find it in the Daily Eagle. Based on the missing words I’m guessing it was transcribed from an original.

Harry,
More letters from members of the 14th Brooklyn can be found at “The Brooklyn Eagle” online site courtesy of The Brooklyn Public Library. The article appears in the issue dated July 29, 1861, pg 2; it is titled “War Intelligence.” The letters appear midway in the article. One letter reveals the men went into battle in undershirts and pants (no color mentioned). Some letters discuss soldiers’ perceptions, regiments involved, positions on the field, action accounts, and the retreat. The letters do give a little more information that distinquishes the 14th Brooklyn’s actions from the 11th NY’s for the “battle of the batteries” on Henry HIll. Apparently Lt. Col Fowler was charged for cowardice by some NY newspaper. Maj. Jourdan writes in defense of Lt. Col. Fowler’s honor. Interesting!
Linda

Dulce bellum inexpertis

“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”

About

Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.

The Project

This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!